[07/31/08 - 08:53 AM]Spike TV Announces the Pickup of Original, Non-Scripted Series '1000 Ways to Die' Originally a two-part special, the May premiere drew an average audience of 1.0 million viewers.

[via press release from Spike TV]

Spike TV Announces the Pickup of Original, Non-Scripted Series '1000 Ways To Die'

Thom Beers' Original Productions To Produce 10-Episode Series On The Heels
Of Ratings Success Of Two-Part Special

Series Set To Premiere In Fall 2008

LOS ANGELES, July 31 -- Spike TV has ordered ten 30-minute
episodes of "1000 Ways to Die," the visually shocking series that explores
the many different and bizarre ways one can meet their maker. The series is
executive produced by Thom Beers, the same creative mind who brought
viewers the critically-acclaimed hits "Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road
Truckers" and "Ax Men," and is scheduled to premiere in Fall 2008.

"1000 Ways to Die" showcases some of the most outrageously true stories
about those who succumbed to the grim reaper in the most unorthodox styles.
Each case takes you through a fast-paced full reenactment interlaced with
dramatic witness testimonials, fun historical tidbits, scientific expert
explanations and vibrant CGI effects reminiscent of classic comic books.
Playing off the commonly misconceived notion, "that could never happen to
me," "1000 Ways to Die" works to dispel that myth in a tongue-in-cheek
fashion, highlighting the comedic irony in all the crazy ways people can
get themselves killed.

Originally a two-part special, the May premiere of "1000 Ways to Die"
performed well in its timeslot, averaging a robust 0.9 rating in M18-34 and
an average audience of 1.0 million viewers. Compared to the ratings in the
timeslot the previous year, "1,000 Ways to Die" was up +133% among M18-49
+104% in M18-34.

"We are thrilled to be in the Thom Beers business," says Sharon Levy,
senior vice president, original series at Spike TV. "We loved the special
and Thom's vision for the series combines all the things our audience wants
-- outrageousness, water cooler facts and a never-before-seen-on-TV
quality."

"We may not readily admit it, but we all have a strange fascination
with death, particularly all the gruesome details of how it occurs," says
Beers. "The bizarre humor in some of these cases is undeniable."

Some of the more outlandish cases this season include death from eating
a jalapeno pepper, a simple scrape-turned-flesh-eating virus and a case of
a man trapped in an avalanche with plenty of food and water, only to
succumb to methane poisoning from too much of his own gas.

Thom Beers is CEO and executive producer for Original Productions, the
television production company responsible for a myriad of hit television
series, including "Monster Garage," "Ax Men," and the 2008 Primetime
Emmy(R) nominees, "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers," with a
combined total of six nominations. Among them is a nomination for
Outstanding Non-Fiction Series for "The Deadliest Catch." The company has a
remarkable cable track record and received special recognition in 2006 and
2007 as one of the most notable production companies in Realscreen
magazine's Global 100.

Thom Beers and Philip Segal will serve as executive producers for "1000
Ways to Die." Sharon Levy is Spike TV's senior vice president of original
series. Tim Duffy and Wayne Sampson are executives in charge of production
for Spike TV.

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV
Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the
world's leading creators of programming and content across all media
platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is http://www.spike.com.